Switching device



April 6 1926. 1,579,304

F. M. GODDAD SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Dec. l'f, 1919 Pfg. 5. J/ 2J if 2/ IIIIIIIIIIH' Pfg. 2. 5 22 i /0 Z6 Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

, Awww STATES FREDERICK in.l Gonnani), `or BnooKnvN, NEW YORK, AssrGnoR Towns'rnnn ELnc- INconPonATEmoFNEW YoRK, N. Y., Aconronarron or NEW f frnro COMPANY, YORK.

'1,579,304 PATENT;forties;

swITcHING DEVICE.

T0 all whom-it may concern f Be it known that l, FREDERICK M. GoD- nARn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county ofy Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switching Devices, of which the followingis a full,

clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to switching devices in general' and more particularly to a multi-contact relay especially suitable for use in connection `with telephone work.

In various types of signaling and telephone systems, it becomes necessary to open or close a large number of contacts practically simultaneously, and it is al-so required that this work be 4done very eiiciently, in view of the small amount of energy available. Not only must the work be done efficiently as regards electrical energy but the apparatus for doing this work must be so4 designed as not t0 be prohibitive in cost of manufacture.' l

It is therefore the object-of this invention to provide a switching device which will be capable of opening or closing a large number -of contactspractically simultaneously1 and one which will be cheap to manufacture, efcient in operation and require a minimum amount of attention in service.

To attain this object and inl accordance with a feature of this invention, there is provided a switching device comprising a selfaligning rotating member consisting of alternate sections of insulating and conducting material, a set of conducting springs or brushes adapted to bear against the conducting segments continuously, and a second set of contact springs or brushes adapted to engage the contact segments when the latter are rotated.

This and other features of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section to show the construction of the rotating member; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the relay as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partial view showing the manner in which the rotating member is carried by the mounting plate; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view showing the manner in which the contact springs or brushes are heldin place.

Referring now to the drawings, there is provided a mounting plate 5 of magnetic magnet.

material` having va downwardly". projecting member-6 to which the spools 7`7 0f `an electromagnet` are secured by means 0f screws 8. The side plates of the mounting frame 5` are provided with slots 9, as shown, adapted to receive the end-portions ofthe shaft 10 of the rotating member. l Encircling this shaft is a bushing r11 offinsulat-ing material such as hardrubb'er and provided with a key slot'12. "At the center portion of the bushing 11v there is provided a short metal sleeve, not shown inthe drawing,:which is pinned to the bushing andthe shaft 10, About the sleeve is clamped the member. 13, the' outer end of which is rigidly connected to the armature 14 of the electro- On either side of the sleeve there is provided a washer 15-15 and upon the `bushing areA then threaded alternate lsegments 16 of insulating material andsegments 17 of conducting material, the number of such segments depending upon the vnumber of Vcontacts which are to bevemployed, one conductingsegment being provided for each circuit to be interrupted. The segments 16y and 17, as can be clearly seen in Fig. 1, are "provided with inwardly projecting members or tangs adapted to fit in the key-way 12 and prevent the segments from angular motion with respect to the bushing 11. When the desired number of conducting and insulating segments are positioned upon the bushing 11, washers 18-18 and nuts 1919 are provided at either end, the nuts being adapted to engage the threaded end-portions of the shaft 10 so that the parts may be clamped rigidly together. The conducting springs which are preferably of phosphor bronze wire, are clamped between suitable insulating members and secured to the mounting frame 5. For each conducting segment 17, there is provided a conducting spring 20 which is adapted to bear con ltinuously and with the desired amount of hold Ithe rotating member in position and in correct alignment. In order to attain a compact piece of apparatus and to provide space for making the necessary soldering connections, alternate springs 2O are given a downwardbend and alternate springs 21 are given an upward bend. In order to prevent these springs from rotating, each spring is given a bend or crimp, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4. The insulating members 23-23 are provided with spaced portions. -A retractile spring 28 is con- 25,

nected between the projecting arm of the mounting plate 5 and the armature 14 to keep the apparatus normallyin an unop erated position. The backward movement o f this armature is limited by the stop 29 vwhich is rigidly secured to the frame.

' Upon energization of the electromagnet V7, the Aarmature 14 is attracted to the core 30 and, in its movement,causes the rotation of ythe various insulating and conducting segments. Upon the conducting segments 17 being rotated sufficiently far, the cam portion engages the springs 21, thereby closing tact.

the contact between springs 20 and 21 since each spring 2O is continuously in contact with its corresponding conducting segment. The lrotation of the conducting segments is such as to cause a slipping movement be- Atween the spring contacts' 21 and the segment, thus providing a self-cleaning con- The spring members 21 may be tensioned against` the insulating strip 22 with any desired tension, thus providing corresponding contact pressure between the segments 17 and the springs 21 when the former are given the necessary rotation.

What is claimedv is: n

1. In a switching device, the combination of amounting frame arranged with a slot on two opposite ends, a rotatable switching member pivotally arranged in said slots, conducting and insulating cams interposed on said member, and sets ofconductors tensioned against said conducting cams for holding said member in adjusted position in said slots. I

2. In a switching device, the combination of a mounting frame, superposed banks of contacts arranged on said frame, means `for holding said contacts against movement in said banks, said means comprising a pluralityof indentures on each of said banks, a crimped'portion at one end of each of said conductors lying in an associated recess,

and an` insulating strip lor holding said wires in said banks collectively.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my namethis 12th day of December A. D.,

- FREDERICK M. GODDARD. 

